Achieving quality excellence at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

Quality assurance methods at the Diablo Canyon plant were transformed from the then typical industry practices that often alienated professional and technical people, as well as craftsmen and their foremen, to a cooperative method that allowed plant personnel to work together as a team. It has created an attitude to do it right the first time. The roles of quality professionals were expanded to include teaching and coaching to facilitate enhanced communication between and within functional organizations. This included regular presentations to managers and line personnel in an informal group participative atmosphere. These presentations have become widely known at the plant as quality awareness tailboard sessions. These presentations are intended to increase personnel sensitivity to the subject of quality and quality management. Economic achievement of excellence in quality is essential to remain competitive in today's marketplace. The proactive team-oriented approach of quality assurance achieves the bottom line of high quality with concurrently enhanced productivity and cost-effectiveness.